Scaffolds of one design or another have been utilized for hundreds of years to provide a temporary support for the construction or maintenance of an adjacent area. Although scaffold construction has evolved over the years, and a consequence has been greatly improved in ease of construction, stability, and safety, there still does not exist an easily installed, yet safe and effective ladder bracket for removably securing a ladder to the scaffold.
Ropes, clamps, threaded fasteners, or welds have been utilized in the past to secure a ladder to the scaffold, all with some degrees of success, but none have provided the ease of use, stability, and safety of the device and system of the present invention.
Patents which may be of some pertinence to the present system include:
______________________________________ Patent Number Inventor Date of Issue ______________________________________ 494868 Kelly 04/04/1893 987399 Rashkovsky 03/21/1911 1341198 Ruple 05/25/1920 1879244 Hoffman 09/27/1932 2142651 Michelson 01/03/1939 2554675 Magnetti 05/29/1951 5078532 Williams 01/07/1992 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 1,341,198 to Ruple contemplates a support bracket "adapted to suspend bird cages, hanging flower baskets, and other objects at a distance from a wall or the like".
U.S. Pat. No. 2,142,651 issued 1939 teaches a scaffold including a ladder stabilized by first and second hook members (30).
U.S. Pat. No. 1,879,244 issued 1932 teaches a "scaffold support" wherein there is taught a bracket which frictionally engages a ladder, the bracket having a hook emanating therefrom to engage a structure to support same.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,532 issued 1992 teaches a "Scaffold Connection" wherein there is provided a first ring member having an upper side and a lower side fixedly attachable to a vertical scaffold member, and a connector body having a connector body configured to engage the first ring member.
While the above systems may teach various means to removably affix members to a scaffold or other structure, none are believed to contemplate the easily implemented, effective, and safe system of the present invention.